Church of Braye-en-Laonnois

The Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin in Braye-en-Laonnois, originally built in the 13th century (the sanctuary and choir), has undergone numerous alterations and suffered damage over the centuries. Indeed, it was completely razed to the ground in 1917 during the Battle of the Chemin des Dames, and its reconstruction took place between 1928 and 1932, though none of the original building’s elements were reused as had been planned.
It was destroyed once again during the fighting in the spring of 1940, the bell tower having been used by German soldiers as a machine-gun post...